Woman sexually assaulted by uncle at 15 waives anonymity to encourage other victims to come forward

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Woman Abused by Uncle Comes Forward to Encourage Others

Antonius van de Zandt, a 72-year-old man, has been sentenced to three years in prison for sexually assaulting his teenage niece in 1986. However, due to his age and ill health, he will only serve six months behind bars and the remainder of his sentence will be served as a good behavior bond. The sentence was handed down by the ACT Supreme Court on Friday.

During the trial in September, van de Zandt admitted to the sexual assault but pleaded not guilty, claiming that he was asleep at the time. However, family members told the court that he had openly acknowledged his wrongdoing in the years since the assault, attributing it to his “animalistic” sexual desire and a belief that his niece “wanted it.”

Despite the trauma endured for decades, the victim, Aquinia ‘Queenie’ van de Zandt, has elected to waive her legal right to anonymity in an effort to encourage others who have experienced abuse to come forward. She expressed her relief at the sentence and stated that there are no winners in a situation like this. Queenie added, “I feel like it’s appropriate that he goes to jail for what he did.”

Inspired by the MeToo movement and women like Grace Tame, Queenie decided to report the assault to the police after more than three decades. By speaking out and revealing her identity, she hopes to inspire others to do the same. “The time of silence is over,” she declared. “In speaking out and reporting my sexual assault, I have gone from being a victim to a survivor. And the more of us who report sexual violence, the stronger we become.”

The court heard that at the time of the offense, Queenie considered her uncle and his wife as parental figures, often staying at their home. She explained in her victim impact statement, “So when you sexually abused me and then accused me of wanting it, of having seduced you in some way, you broke something in me, something that has never quite come back together.”

Chief Justice Lucy McCallum, who presided over the case, acknowledged the serious breach of trust involved in the offense. She noted that van de Zandt still does not take responsibility for his actions or acknowledge their gravity. While he expressed remorse in a letter to the court, Chief Justice McCallum deemed it a “cynical exercise in self-ingratiation.”

Although the delay of 37 years in bringing the matter to court was acknowledged, it did not result in a shorter sentence for van de Zandt. Chief Justice McCallum explained, “The effect of the delay is that the offender had the benefit of a rich and full life without having to suffer the consequences as a younger man. In the meantime, the victim has continued to suffer.”

Despite this, Chief Justice McCallum recognized van de Zandt’s age and declining physical and mental health, justifying the suspension of the sentence after six months in jail. He will then serve a good behavior bond until November 30, 2026.

By sharing her story and choosing to be identified, Queenie hopes to encourage other victims of abuse to speak up and redirect the shame onto the perpetrators. She believes that together, survivors can become stronger and create a society where sexual violence is not tolerated..